Charles Mingus
Rating
Active
1943 to 1979
Born
April 22, 1922 in Nogales
Died
January 5, 1979
Location
Los Angeles, California, United States
Biography
Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 - January 5, 1979) was a highly influential American jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader. Mingus's compositions retained the hot and soulful feel of hard bop and drew heavily from black gospel music while sometimes drawing on elements of Third Stream, free jazz, and classical music. Yet Mingus avoided categorization, forging his own brand of music that fused tradition with unique and unexplored realms of jazz. He once cited Duke Ellington and church as his main influences.
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